• UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml
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    50 minutes ago

    “A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”

    • Alexander Hamilton

    Clown country

  • Biggles@lemmy.myserv.one
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    2 hours ago

    This is the same crime that Michael Cohen got three years in prison for. A crime he committed solely to benefit Trump. It makes no sense.

  • ToastedPlanet@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    5 hours ago

    The rule of law means that no one is above the law, not even the president. If the president is above the law then we do not have the rule of law. Being labeled a felon is the idea of a punishment, but since there are no consequences to this sentencing there is no punishment.

    At least imposing a fine would have been consistent with precedent. At that point it would have been an issue with our laws being to lenient. That would have been a much more easily remedied problem than doing away with the rule of law, a founding concept of modern western civilization.

    The rule of law was dead when the Supreme Court ruled presidents have immunity for core constitutional responsibilities and presumed immunity for official acts in Trump v. United States. This is another nail in the coffin.

    • ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca
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      2 hours ago

      I have never heard of “unconditional discharge” being a possible sentence for a crime. It’s like they made it up just for Trump.

    • osugi_sakae@midwest.social
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      29 minutes ago

      I understand the feeling, but I think this outcome is probably the best we could hope for, given the situation. If he had tried to impose fines or imprisonment, one of the higher courts would probably have intervened and the sentencing would never have happened.

    • VoterFrog@lemmy.world
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      1 hour ago

      Yeah it’s crazy. To me, respect for the presidency keeping it crime-free. People committing crimes in pursuit of the presidency or while in its office should be harshly prosecuted, not let off.

  • danc4498@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    Definitely an unpopular comment to make in this thread, but from what I read at the time, most people don’t get jail time for first offense of this type of crime.

    Of course, most people don’t hold press conferences outside of the courtroom bashing on the judge…

      • danc4498@lemmy.world
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        2 hours ago

        Probably not, but there’s also this:

        Prosecutors had recommended the sentence, saying in court Friday, “we must be respectful of the office of the presidency” and Trump’s pending inauguration.

        Makes you wonder why the prosecutors wasted all their time and tax payer resources just to recommend zero punishment. At least fine the dude in the amount he defrauded people.

        • Doug Holland@lemmy.world
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          1 hour ago

          Well, he wasn’t President-elect during the prosecution. That said, seems to me that asking for no penalty is the opposite of “respectful of the office of the presidency.”

  • ofcourse@lemmy.ml
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    4 hours ago

    The only jobs that convicted criminals can get in the US are in the White House.

  • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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    3 hours ago

    Don’t worry, this will appear 4th on the news sites after we discuss transgender issues and how “triggered” Musk is for the 6th time

  • Emberleaf@lemmy.ml
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    6 hours ago

    Let this be glaring proof to anyone who would otherwise deny it: Our democracy is broken and no longer functions for the benefit of the People. This is why revolutions happen. This is why we cannot trust our own government any longer. I’m officially done. Electoral politics has proven to be a gigantic joke, and I’m not playing anymore.

    • Allonzee@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      I know it’s decades too late, but it’s still cathartic to finally see a lot of people waking up to the neolib/Republican good cop/bad cop con job routine warring over social wedges as they rob us blind since Reagan.

      This country was dying before Reagan from our greed disease, and his administration killed any hope it had left. We need a new framework, this one is necrotic.

      Revolution! Pain for us means a future for our children they currently don’t have. Not a life worth living anyway.

    • ToastedPlanet@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      5 hours ago

      If this is the lesson a majority of people learn we will be ruled by fascists for more than the next four years. Refusing to exercise power is self-defeating and will not inspire any revolutions. If we let things get worse they will get worse, because there is no floor to how bad things can get.

    • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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      3 hours ago

      Agreed. This is why I’m going to vote Democrats and downvote anyone who suggests third party candidates

      • Allonzee@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Surely the Neoliberals next signature piece of legislation they won’t shut up about for decades as a “victory” won’t be a heritage foundation created plot to further enshrine for profit insurance leeches into healthcare! Hopefully!

        I wonder how they’ll move to the right next cycle. “OK ok, we now support the death camps, but God damn it, line in the sand, those death Camps will have Taco Tuesdays! Vote Blue no matter who!”

  • h3adphones@lemmy.zip
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    6 hours ago

    Prosecutors had recommended the sentence, saying in court Friday, “we must be respectful of the office of the presidency” and Trump’s pending inauguration.

    What a fucking joke.

    • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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      5 hours ago

      You respect the office by holding the criminal to account. This is quite the opposite. But hey, what else should we expect from Merrick Garland, that do nothin’, hand wringin’, Republican-lite son of a removed.

  • JonsJava@lemmy.worldM
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    8 hours ago

    All you rich people who think you can break any law you want, let this be a warning roadmap

    • Darkard@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      And don’t be thinking you can just get away with it either.

      You will also be congratulated for doing so, and maybe even rewarded.

    • Soulifix@kbin.melroy.org
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      8 hours ago

      The only thing rich people are afraid of is getting pinned for child sex crimes. Anything else, they care less.

      • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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        7 hours ago

        No, they do that, too. Trump has done that. And the right falls all over themselves to minimize and refuse to investigate. As with climate change, if you don’t know, then nothing is your fault. Even if it’s your job to know.

        • lolola@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          6 hours ago

          I think the keyword there is pinned, which to me sounds like being found guilty and punished. How often does that part happen?

        • Joncash2@lemmy.ml
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          7 hours ago

          Both Democrats and Republicans support each other as kiddie diddling. Epstein had both Clinton and Trump to his island. Raping kids is a bipartisan past time.

  • Capt. Wolf@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Not that I expected anything but this, but I’ll repeat what I said when Merchan announced the sentencing delay until after the election,

    Fucking pussies…

    He should resign, clearly he’s not fit for his position if he’ll allow himself to be intimidated into inaction.

    • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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      8 hours ago

      I’m not making excuses for Judge Merchan, but it’s easy to say what you’re saying when you’re not personally dealing with a guy who can and will send an angry mob of violent nutjobs to your house. Something to keep in mind.

      • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        6 hours ago

        EDIT: Can folks please stop using the downvote as an “I disagree” button. I upvoted Admiral Patrick because they’re providing a meaningful contribution to discussion even if I disagree with the point. That’s why it’s called a discussion. They understand we disagree with our words, we don’t need to downvote them to hell to get that point across, jeeze.


        With all due respect, Admiral Patrick, this is a democracy, and the people who take these positions knowingly take them being public positions. By virtue of being a public position, they are respondent to the public.

        If it was an “angry mob” of protestors outside of Aileen Cannon’s house, I doubt we’d have the same issue with it, but law enforcement would.

        If you take such a position and care more about your own life and skin then, in my humble opinion, you do not meed the bare minimum requirements for this position. This is a democracy and you are sacrificing yourself to the alter of the public good when you take such a job, up to and including dying to protect democracy.

        You don’t say “well I need to roll over to protect myself” when the outcome means you’re letting all the most at risk suffer even worse under the thumb of someone like Trump. You just threw the weakest under the bus to save your own skin, which means you should have never been given the job to begin with, because you’re supposed to represent everyone, not just the wealthy and well-to-do. The weakest deserve your representation and this is an abdication of that representation which means they were unsuitable for the job to begin with.

        Literally, every time someone bends over and gives in because Trump might hurt them personally, that’s just one cut among a death by a thousand cuts of our democracy. Each time they do it, they’re sacrificing a stable society in the future to save their skins now, which in my eyes, is cowardice and antithetical to the entire position they took in the system.

        We are literally slipping into fascism because of decisions like these and I do not care about Merchan’s comfort when millions are suffering far worse than him, and he has just condemned them to worse by allowing this monster to walk free. He is literally telling us very clearly he values his own life more than the future of this country. He was no Nathan fucking Hale, that’s for god damned sure.

        Nathan Hale: “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country”

          • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            6 hours ago

            I’m on an instance that they don’t federate downvotes, but I had a sneaking suspicion and checked another instance and was correct. I hate seeing that same behavior here. Admiral Patrick is making a valid contribution, a viewpoint that is considering other people’s feelings and positions, and is trying to put themselves in someone else’s shoes to understand why they would be afraid in this situation. Every part of their post is made in good faith. Is that not enough to just get a neutral no-vote?

      • Capt. Wolf@lemmy.world
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        8 hours ago

        Oh, I get it, and I’d be scared as hell too. However, I can still say he should have done his duty and has failed to show the integrity that role requires. He could just as easily be presiding over a mob case, knowing that to convict a crime boss would mean similar threats to his and his family’s safety. What if he doesn’t do his duty then for the same reason? If that’s the best excuse, I still argue that he’s not fit for the job.

        People shouldn’t get a pass just because they have power. All it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.

        • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 hours ago

          All it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.

          We’ve literally watched it play out my entire adult life. The Republicans constantly win because the Democrats are do nothing motherfuckers who are more concerned with saving their own skins than any of their constituents.

          Biden literally was given basically carte blanche to do whatever the fuck he wants by the Supreme Court. He could release Jack Smith’s report today, unredacted. It would be tied up in court for a decade to decide whether he broke the law or not. He would comfortably go to his deathbead before a decision was made.

          Biden ain’t gonna release it because he’s committed to “nothing will fundamentally change.” Do nothing motherfuckers.

      • earphone843@sh.itjust.works
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        8 hours ago

        They addressed your point in the last sentence. If he’s too afraid to do his job, he should have recused himself.

      • Monkey With A Shell@lemmy.socdojo.com
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        8 hours ago

        When George Floyd was murdered they had a battalion n of police outside of the killer’s house to protect him. Why can’t they do the same here using the national guard if needed?

      • lolola@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        6 hours ago

        …A thought that hasn’t occurred to me until now: are we effectively living under mob rule?

        They might not make up a majority of people, but maybe they command a majority of angry mobs willing to show up at your house?